Are you looking for a simple salad recipe that goes well with most meals? Then this recipe is for you. It’s a classic and authentic Italian recipe you’ll find in most restaurants and homes in Italy, served as a side salad. It’s the queen of side dishes!We make it with mixed leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots to make it colorful and crunchy, and it’s dressed in extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and salt. It’s fresh, crunchy, and tasty, especially if you use local and seasonal ingredients. You’ll be also pleased to know that it’s low in calories, as there are no add-ins, heavy dressings, or dairy products. This is the perfect everyday recipe to add more delicious and crunchy greens to your diet without too much effort.If you want a more complete, richer salad, check out our Italian salad recipe with plenty of add-ins and seasoned with our homemade Italian dressing.
Ingredients
Instructions
Serving suggestions
Serve as a side salad with most main courses, from fried eggplant to risotto cakes; this light and simple side salad recipe will add a crunch and freshness to your meals. Serve it next to your favorite main dish, for example with:
Arugula
Arugula adds a dark-green color, is packed with antioxidants, and adds a mildly spicy and slightly bitter flavor that we love in a salad. If you don’t like its taste, you can replace it with other non-bitter leaves, such as Lamb’s lettuce, purslane, or watercress.
Radicchio
Radicchio is a slightly bitter, red and white Italian type of lettuce. It’s one of our favorites; however, if you don’t like its somewhat bitter taste, you can leave it out.
Tomatoes
Any tomatoes will do, as long as they are not overripe. Our favorites are cherry tomatoes and San Marzano Tomatoes (but those are hard to find).
Carrot
A freshly grated carrot adds sweetness, color, and crunch.
Celery
Celery adds loads of crunch, and we love it in a salad. But, of course, you can replace it with radishes or thinly sliced fennel.
Red Onion
Thinly sliced red onion adds sharp, tangy notes that elevate the other ingredients. You can substitute it with green onions, spring onions, or shallots.
Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is our dressing of choice for this side salad. Try to go for a good quality one if you can. If you want a more elaborated dressing, try our homemade Italian dressing.
Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar are all excellent options.
Salt
Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors of the veggies. Season with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Toss the salad well before serving it as a side dish to most mains.
Pasta: With aromatic tofu meatballs on spaghetti, next to tomato basil pasta, or with this 15-minute aglio e olio.Plant–based protein: Such as marinated tofu, breaded spinach cutlets, or vegan frittata.Italian favorites: For example tomato risotto, zucchini boats, or stuffed eggplant with cheese.
Variations
Storage
This side salad is best eaten soon after you add the vinegar. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about 24 hours, but the salad will lose its crunch after about 2 hours due to the acidity in the vinegar.
Creamy Tofu Salad
You can add avocado, corn, cucumber, and fried tofu and dress it with a tahini sauce and lemon juice to turn it into a nutritious tofu salad.
Italian Salad
Add homemade croutons, Italian vinaigrette, olives, black pepper, and pepperoncini to transform into a tasty American-Style Italian salad.
Vegetarian Salad
We like to keep most of our salads vegan, especially if we serve them as a side dish; however, if you are vegetarian, you can add a type of cheese (choose from feta cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola), walnuts, and sliced pears or dried cranberries. If you wish to make it ahead and store it for longer, then don’t toss it in olive oil and vinegar until you are ready to serve it.
More Salad Recipes
For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.
Rice salad with aromatic veggies and herbsEggplant salad with healthy plant-based proteinTomato and cucumber salad with red onionChickpea salad ready in just 20 minutesCouscous with pan-fried vegetablesQuinoa chickpea salad with fresh veggiesFennel and orange salad with pomegranate seedsRaw zucchini salad with pine nuts
Or take your pick from our 25 best vegan salad recipes, including cabbage slaw, grain bowls, and raw veggie salads.
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Vegan Summer Recipes
35 Plant-based Recipes
